In Black America; LeRoy J. Wormley, IBM Community Relations

with me. From the Longhorn Radio Network, the University of Texas at Austin, this is in Black America. The products coming out of the college, out of the colleges, they're equipped early enough already where they come in and they are coming into jobs, beginning off, you know, at the highest hour structure, then when I came into the job. And those jobs are being fulfilled by the college entrance or by the college folks and they make their three to five year income, maximize and go into another job. I don't see 30 to 40 year careers anymore.

I see that they're going to be shorter but more productive both from the individual and from the salary structure. Leroy J. Wormley, Jr. Corporate Community Relations Manager, IBM, Austin. Last February, Worming was the recipient of the Austin, Texas area Urban League with the more young junior awards, for its consistent service and commitment to improve the quality of life in Austin, Texas. The award is named after the former leader of the National Urban League, young head of the organization for 10 years. The Austin area Urban League is a nonprofit organization who mission is to guide outreach, programming, partnership and advocacy. Wormley has worked for IBM Austin for 30 years, 18 of those years as Community Relations Manager. I'm John L. Hanson, Jr. and welcome to another edition of In Black America. On this week's program, Leroy J. Wormley, Jr. Community Relations Manager, IBM Austin, in Black America.

I am thankful to God that we've been able to somehow another get through all the challenges that have been presented with us as a family that most families go through. And right now, my children are all out working and successful in their own careers. They have their own children and I'm a proud grandfather and a great grandfather once and they live in the Dallas area and man, that's the top. They live in the Dallas area. I can go visit them and when I get tired of that noise, I can come back home. So anyway, family is very important and the nucleus of it all is having a close knit family working together, resolving issues and trying to instill in your family that, hey, we people make this world.

I mean, things don't shake on this earth until people get in motion and we all have a contribution in that by perpetuating the races. We do that via the family. Two years ago, Wormley was a man in demand, often finding himself on the short list of yet another board of directors position of yet another non-profit. As an African American, he was coveted by a charity seeking to diversify their leadership. Unfortunately, he was already serving on four boards. Though committed to diversity, he just didn't have the time. His time crunch became the catalyst for blueprint for board members, a United Way program that prepare minorities to participate in non-profit boards, then link them to agencies that need help. His activity led the board of directors of the Austin, Texas area, Urban League, to name him the 2000 recipient of the Whitney Moore Young Junior Award. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, he attended public schools there. After high school graduation in 1956, he went to work in the hospitality industry.

When IBM came to town, he applied and I guess you can say the rest is history. Whitney in Black America spoke with Leroy J. Wormley. Everything was just kind of self-centered. We had a little country store out there at the time. As a matter of fact, our little field had a little store and it was the African American store there in Kazaarajas, it was a white store that was out there. It was kind of confined and we had a little community there that everybody mended together and my upbringing was there in the community coming right straight up through Clarksville Elementary School. It was an elementary school now where Mary Bay La Park is and it was grades one through four. Go ahead. After grades four, I had to transfer O to the East Act to Blackshire Elementary School. Was it pretty much a segregated society in Austin?

A segregated society in Austin back then. Oh yes, it was a segregated society. Austin is a segregated city. I mean, if you look at it right now, it's east of 35 and it's west of 35 and it's been that way. That's the way it was. It's getting better. It's beginning to merge because economically, it costs too much to keep the city segregated. I would suggest. That's my own personal outlook. But we've come a long way from back when there was nothing to where we are now and the issues are a lot larger. Hopefully, one of these days, we will be able to see a somewhat more peaceful society and the racial barriers and the racial unrest will disappear on us. Hopefully. Lessons learn as an adolescence that state you will today. Absolutely. I can remember going to JC Penis and JC Penis used to be down on Congress and there used to be a Black Fountain and a White Fountain and the White Fountain had the cold water.

It was the Hathletailer water fountains and the little Black Fountain was labeled with for color and the White Fountain was labeled for whites. And I used to always go in and catch the salespeople not looking and I'd always get me a little drink of water out of the cold water fountain and then run up the stairs and get behind my mother's dress tail. And the lesson I learned there is, hey, all you have to do is stethily just go in and do what you want to do and not create a lot of turmoil but do the right things. Equality will come to you if you do the right thing, if you get involved in the communities where you live and you operate. I think things that you learn, you look at them and deep within your heart, you can make the right choice. All of us are gifted with being able to make the right decisions on what's right and what's wrong. It's just that through our teachings, teaching gives us the emphasis to do the wrong things especially when it comes to race relations.

You attended Old Anderson High School, tell us about that experience. Well I attended the Old Anderson High School where the Keeling Magnet School is right now and I went into Anderson High School when the first grade in Anderson was the ninth grade. So my first year in the ninth grade was at the Old Anderson High School that's located where Keeling is right now. And after that year we moved out to the Ridgeview campus which is now the ACC campus and the next three years and up until I finished in 56th that's where I went to school. And what did you do after graduation? At that graduated I started, I stayed around town for about six months and worked in the hospitality field and worked around about a year then I went to the University of Texas for one semester, got out of there and got married, started my family, went back into the hospitality field and continued to grow for the next 14 years in the hospitality field

and finally on up to when I made head waiter at the Austin Country Club. Is it true that you went to IBM because they wouldn't give you a raise? Well I initiated that because I wanted to do more than what I was doing. It seems to me like being the head waiter was going to be the top job that I was going to be able to get in the 60s and it seems to me like there was something else I could do. There was something more I could do not only for myself but for the community also. And when IBM came to town I just took the test and was accepted and I said well I'll go back and I will propose to them and they give me a quarter an hour raise. Well then I won't leave. I will stay just a quarter is all I want it. The answer I got back was no we're not giving any raises and I said okay I said how about a nipple an hour and the answer was no we're not giving any raises at all and I said okay

that was okay if I can't do anything else I'm going I'll give you 30 days notice and I still was going to hope and given them 30 days I was still hoping that they would say well we'll give you the nipple raise and I'm glad they didn't give me the raise. And what was your first job at IBM? My first job was on the assembly line putting in the interposes and springs on the keyboard for the electric magnetic composer that was a type in machine that had a tape loop in it and also had electronic memory and I was on the assembly line putting widgets and gadgets nuts and bolts and grease together for assembly. And you moved up to shift manager in that position? Well there were some other steps in between getting from where I started to get into shift manager but I did I went up to the assembly line and you go from different areas on the assembly line making progress and then I got into being just one of the EC coordinators

where you kind of handle all the engineering changes on the line and from there I went into being a manager on second shift and then after a couple of years on second shift I went to third shift and long about the end of the life of the product I was working on on the third shift this job in community relations came open and I applied for it and got it. And what does your responsibilities in tail? Currently? Yes sir. Currently I'm responsible for administering IBM's corporate community relations program in the Austin area. I've got some expanded duties that includes El Paso, San Antonio, Beaumont, San Antonio, South Texas area and then the immediate Austin area. So I've got a little area and it's exciting, I feel good doing it and it really gives me a chance to really get out and see what can be done to improve the quality of life for

all of us here. Why did you feel you had the wherewithal to be a corporate community relations person? Initially I didn't think that or I didn't know that. I just said I wonder if I can do that and it was simply because I had gotten involved with a Boy Scout troop and it was Explorer 67 and Explorer 67 was under the auspices of the JA program and the young men and the post didn't want to be associated with Boy Scouts so that's how the explorers got involved, okay? And so we had government out of adult and adult scout program and within this program there were some other colleagues in IBM and we served as advisors and went to meetings once a week and had quite a bit of success doing some electronic things with these kids and the Explorer post. One time I got that information into my system, I said well you know I live in Austin, I know where every you know a lot of streets and I know where there's a lot of cracks and

crevices are that need some support, I ought to be able to do that job and so I applied for it and that was in the 81, 82 time frame and I've been here since and it's been quite rewarding for me and I can really look out now that I step back and take another look is I can see where we have done some things out in the community here. We have touched some people, we have touched some organizations and hopefully with IBM and it's outlook on the community and my investment in this community being a native Austinite we have worked together as a team to make some good things happen in Austin. How did you go about convincing your co-workers that it was a good civic thing to do to volunteer their times in talent? How do I do that? Yes sir. First of all I get involved myself and I can't tell them unless I get involved myself and there's a sincerity that comes with it, if you get involved with a nonprofit agency you need to read the bylaws, become familiar with the intent and the mission and the purpose

of the organization is so you'll know which way you're going, what you need to be doing. The rest of it is personal enthusiasm, personal sincerity and then you get out and you begin to understand that what you're doing is taking time, time is money but you know given the time, going out making things happen in a volunteer capacity it's better to give than receive and you learn that over a period of time so I've been able to do that, I've gotten this volunteerism going that aware, man it's going all through my veins and everything and I know the importance of it so it's easy to talk to my colleagues and my peers and the employees here at IBM to let them know that man the right thing to do is go out and volunteer your time, it doesn't take that much, one or two hours a week, ten hours a month, whatever you're going to do if you're sincere and you understand what you're doing well then you're going to be a successful person.

I also understand that you found yourself being one and a more boys and you had time to commit and you came up with a program, the blueprint classes? That's true, blueprint for board members is a class that Gary got to the president of the United Way and I talked about a couple of years ago and we wanted to just get out and say hey there's a need here, look around the boards, I mean you can look around the boards right today, American Heart, American Lung, all of the major boards, you look at the board makeup and you're going to see primarily Anglo, I mean that's the way it is so the only way that we can fix that and try to get a cross section of people working on these boards for the whole of the community is to provide them number one with an educational forum that will share with them the importance of being a good board member and also understanding what the duties, responsibilities and liabilities are associated with being a good board members.

So Gary got to and I got together, made the decision hey let's try to put this thing together, check with one of his vice presidents, Cynthia Colbert and we put the rough draft agenda together, now we have over 130 people that's going through the course, the next two classes on the stand of pool, they present that particular forum in two and a half hour sessions and it's called blueprint for board members and when you leave that class you do have at least a familiarization of what is expected and of a good solid board member. How does IBM and or your department go about providing philanthropic assistance to organizations? Well primarily that's my job, my job is to manage direct and control IBM's donations, contributions of both volunteers, equipment and money, our strategy is strongly focused

on pre-K through 12 education, that's what we're looking for, we have over the last five to ten years really put a strong emphasis on saying hey we've got to get down to where the problem begins and that's what the youth, we've got to get education rolling strongly, it used to be where everybody was targeted, go to college, come to find out, they're not taking guns and bombs to college, they're taking guns to where, sixth grade right, fifth grade, so all of a sudden the light came on, we need to get way back down early so that we can get these kids trained and get them on the right track up early, so right now the IBM focuses on K through 12 education, hoping that we're going to make a difference, hoping that we're going to get in and ensure that when these kids go through these classes they

are able upon completion to read and write in the rhythm of ticks and the computer wishes that we need out there, they're going to be able to be productive citizens when they get through high school rather than us finding out they can't read when they leave high school. Give us an idea of the boards or commissions you're currently involved with? Currently I am on the national board of the Better Business Bureau, I am on the executive committee of that particular group and I'm also the nominating chair of the National Better Business Bureau board, I work locally with the Better Business Bureau also, I am on the Blue Santa board, I am on the Austin Crown Stoppers board and I am the chairman of the Texas Crown Stoppers Association, I have done some duty for the Texas Crown Stoppers Advisory Council and I have been appointed by two different governors to serve two two year terms in that particular position, so I've been able to do some work around the

city and I've been able to really learn how to do it and do it right. You were the recent recipient of the Austin Area Urban League, Whitney Moore Young Junior Award, winning and receiving that award, what did it mean to you? Well, when Herman was taught first, call me, I was just kind of overwhelmed, I said, are you sure it's me or it's for IBM? And Herman said, my friend, it's you, you're the one that's performed all the duties and responsibilities in this community, so this board of directors has chosen you. And I said, my God, Herman, I guess, yes, I will accept that and I'm unbelievably happy, I am unbelievably proud and I was really excited because all over the years that I've been in this job, I have watched others who have been instrumental in doing community service, receive this particular award and all of a sudden it got dropped in my lap and here I am the recipient of it, so no, I'm pleased, I'm happy, I am humble and my thought process

is that if these folks thought enough of me to recognize my work is being commendable enough to be recognized will then so be it. I am happy that if my efforts are in fact being used and utilized in this community to make all of our lives better and hopefully the quality of life will be included in that, I'm happy. Give us your opinion on the state of black America today. The state of black America today, there's more for us to do, I think we don't need to do any more thing appointing, the thing appointing can be done but as soon as we recognize where we're appointing that finger, one of those thing is appointing back at us, I think we can pull up our own bootstraps, I think the wherewithal is out there is there's a thing, the person

who wants to do something will find a way to do it, the other kind of person will find an excuse. Now surely there are some trials and tribulations that we all will go through, have gone through but man I tell you, I just feel as though right now, especially in Austin is a critical time to where if you've got it and you have prepared yourself, you can go out there and reach in the pot and pull out something. You don't have to go live under the bridge, I don't believe. You don't have to stop at washing dishes, you don't have to stop at mopping floors. I think that the latitude for all of us getting involved just in black America is so great that all we have to do is kind of go out there and reach for the stars now. Every once in a while you might find something out there that's holding your back or pulling your back but don't let that stop us, we need to get past that stuff, we need to get

past that and go forward so that everybody's life is more enjoyable. The quality of life for everybody is better and we're all able to enjoy that success. You mentioned earlier in your career, you are in the hospitality business as a college student myself, I was also in the hospitality business. As you and I travel around the country, when we stay at these hotels, we know just that there's a lack of people of color, particularly in these particular positions in these hotels and restaurants, is it something as African Americans we need to reconsider this service industry since it is one of the fastest growing segments of our society as far as jobs are concerned? I would suggest yes because let me talk about myself. I really enjoyed the hospitality field because the people that I was serving at the Austin Country Club were my mentors and they were class people.

I talked to them that's who I had conversations with, I learned the foods, I learned the proper table manners, I learned the proper everything that you could possibly have because I had the best people teaching me, even though we were in different positions, there was a learning ground for me. If you look at the hospitality field now, most that you see are Anglo, must be some money there, right? Must be. Must be some money there somehow, so it has changed quite a bit from the nickel and diamond tip, I think you're getting now 15 to 20% if not more. So there's got to be some money there, that's a lesson right there. I would suggest that we take another look at that because if you go to a restaurant and there's a waiter that sharp, serves you fast, efficient, polite, man, you're going to give that person some money, we enjoy a good service. What I see is they are out there, they're working hard and they're making these tips and

these tips are good. Now I don't know the salary structure versus the tips anymore but I would suggest that maybe we might take another look at it. It used to be that that was a lower level job, that was a low paying job, so that was a hospitality field. It looks to me like it can be quite lucrative anymore. Give us an idea of working at IBM for some 30 years. And IBM, worker for 30 years, that's true, that's me. Started out on the similar line so I can just kind of look back to my progressions and if I had to go all over it again, yeah, there's some things that I would definitely like to happen on the change. I would do some things differently, probably by a more stock than I bought back there. Anyway, I'm happy with my progress. Wish I had gotten more enthusiastic about how fast I wanted to get into my career in the early couple of years there.

But I've seen a lot of changes in IBM. IBM has really tried its best to put forth the best it could in serving diversity and utilizing the affirmative action days when we had the affirmative action going. And it's worked real hard in trying to get equality across the board and it's really practiced that in its ranks. So I'm glad to have been a part of IBM and I'm glad that they gave me the opportunity in 1967 to hire a person from the hospitality field going into a Greece nuts and grime in boat job and to watch that same person move up the assembly line, move into the management rank, begin the education that I got from the IBM volunteer ed, go to get my college hours at San Edwards University and interface and begin to make a difference. Now I feel good about that.

I feel good about the IBM corporation. I think from where we stand right now, hey, the sky's the limit. All we have to do is reach out and touch it and keep going. Do you think it's still possible for an individual such as yourself or as similar to yourself to work for a large corporation for 30 years? That appears to be changing. That appears to be changing in and more because the products coming out of the college, out of the colleges, they're equipped early enough already where they come in and they are coming into jobs beginning off at higher salary structure than when I came into the job. Those jobs are being fulfilled by the college entrance or by the college folks and they make their three to five year income, maximize and then go into another job. I don't see 30 to 40 year careers anymore.

I see that they're going to be shorter but more productive both from the individual and from the salary structure. Having a 10-inch historic high school, old Anderson high school in Austin, Texas, that high school was closed, I believe, in 1969. What was your feelings once you heard the high school was going to be closed? Well, I was concerned about that and I'm really still a little bit concerned about that because there was a historical landmark that was closed and once the old LC Anderson high school was closed, it lost its complete identity. So all of that stuff has been lost. Lee Roy J. Wormley, Jr. Corporate Community Relations Manager, IBM, Austin. If you have questions, comments or suggestions asked in future in Black America programs, write us.

Also let us know what radio station you heard us offer. The views and opinions expressed on this program are not necessarily those of this station or of the University of Texas at Austin until we have the opportunity again for Technic O. Producer, Cliff Hargrove, I'm John L. Hanson, Jr. Thank you for joining us today and please join us again next week. Cassette copies of this program are available and may be purchased by writing in Black America cassettes, Communication Building B, UT Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, that's in Black America cassettes, Communication Building B, UT Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712. From the University of Texas at Austin, this is the Longhorn Radio Network. I'm John L. Hanson, Jr. Join us this week on in Black America.

It lost its identity simply because those folks who were in power were simply trying to aid integration and now we have the new LC Anderson High School that is just a name. Heroy J. Wormley, Jr. this week on in Black America.